Landscaping To Discourage Shortcuts On Commercial Property
Beautiful landscaping can increase the curb appeal of your business. One challenge, though, is directing visitors and clients along the accepted paths so they don't damage grass or wear paths through garden beds. Fortunately, there are effective and attractive ways to use your landscaping itself to achieve this goal.
Integrate Shortcuts
Some shortcuts across lawns are there because they simply make sense — they are the most obvious and convenient path between your entry doors and the customer. These paths may spring up between the entry door and the parking lot, a nearby bus stop, or the perimeter sidewalk. If it is a long walk from this point of entry to the accepted entry path, then expect shortcuts to spring up and to be heavily used.
In this case, the best option is to use hardscaping to make the shortcuts permanent while protecting the landscaping. You can install a new concrete sidewalk or keep it simple with a flagstone or gravel path. Both will protect the neighboring grass from erosion and prevent multiple shortcuts from springing up across the lawn.
Install Decorative Blockades
Not all shortcuts need to remain, of course. One example is when a path begins to form from people cutting a corner between two perpendicular paths. In this case, using a decorative blockade to prevent pedestrians from ruining the lawn in an effort to save two or three steps makes the most sense.
The blockade can be simple. Some ideas that work well include a low retaining wall, a large concrete pot filled with flowers, or a decorative statue or post. For shortcuts that are along the side of a sidewalk, try integrating something useful into the blockade, such as a bench or information sign.
Plant Effective Barriers
More frustrating than shortcuts through the lawn are when people tramp through any decorative flower or plant beds in an effort to walk a shorter distance. These damages can be more obvious and require more time and money to correct.
The key is to choose plants that people won't want to walk through. Anything with prickles discourages pedestrian traffic, so consider roses or cacti (just make sure they planted far enough back so accidental contact can't be made). Dense hedges, even low hedges, also dissuade shortcuts. If you prefer open flower beds on the property, consider planting a dense shrub or sub-shrub as a backdrop to the more spaced-out flowers in front.
Contact a commercial landscaping service if you need more help managing challenges on your property.